Tech billionaires’ wealth soars 200% in decade, the fastest growth of any industry

According to Fortune, citing data intelligence firm Altrata, there are now 29 such "super-billionaires," most of whom reside in the U.S. and owe their success largely to the nation’s booming AI industry in recent years.

"The technology sector features prominently among the world’s wealthiest billionaires, with the AI boom driving recent strong gains in the portfolio valuations of U.S.-based individuals such as Elon Musk, Larry Ellison, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Larry Page," the report stated.

Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk (front row, left to right) at the 60th Presidential Inauguration in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo by AP

Elon Musk, the world’s richest person with a net worth of $482 billion, saw his fortune surge thanks to the success of Tesla and SpaceX. His wealth could grow even further following shareholders’ approval of a record-breaking $1 trillion pay package.

Google cofounder Larry Page became the world’s second-richest person after the mid-November launch of Google’s Gemini 3 AI model, which helped parent company Alphabet regain its lead in the tech race. Page’s fortune reached $258.8 billion as of Dec. 2, according to Forbes.

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, the world’s third-richest man with an estimated net worth of $252.3 billion, also enjoyed major gains this year thanks to his 40% stake in the AI-focused software company he established in 1977.

Eight of the world’s ten richest individuals built their fortunes primarily in technology, underscoring how AI, cloud computing, and digital platforms continue to outpace traditional industries, International Business Times reported.

With innovation accelerating and financial markets remaining strong, analysts predict that the wealth of the world’s richest people will continue to climb.

Altrata’s report also noted that as the global wealth gap widens, more individuals are entering the ultra-rich category, with a small number joining the "super-billionaire" group. Collectively, this cohort controls an estimated $4.13 trillion, roughly equal to the market value of Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company.

"This ‘super-billionaire’ class has experienced the most dynamic wealth generation by far over the past decade, underlining the hyper concentration of global wealth at the very top," the report said.